Shuffling off like we were in Buffalo

Running can be a particularly difficult task in the dead of winter, but when there is snow on the ground, it's a whole new ballgame. Although my friends and I are extremely committed, perhaps should even be committed, we run throughout the year; rain and ice are the only weather advisories of concern. So, whether the calendar says January or July, it is up at 6:00 am to meet the guys for the early morning run. The only difference is the time it takes to get ready, since the winter weather dictates several wardrobe adjustments. We believe in "layering" it on, first for the run and then during the round table discussion that follows.

So far, the winter has been unkind to us, snow without the benefit of thawing temperatures. That has forced us to "reshuffle" the scheduled days for running to avoid the snow covered thoroughfares. However, even with all the sophisticated weather monitoring that is available today, we still encounter mornings where we are "forced" to run in the snow. What a tragedy it is, running in these wintry conditions when the noise is muffled, and the scenes are right out of a Robert Frost poem. Too bad for us!

However, we do have to make some modifications to accommodate to these conditions. The stride length shortens and the core muscles tighten to prevent falling, but the most obvious change is the gait change which resembles more of a shuffle than anything else. Ooh! Ooh! I have this sudden urge for wings, because if that frozen stuff keeps falling, I guess we all will just shuffle off like it was Buffalo. And from what I have seen, we might as well be there!